I bought a new 10 weeks old male kitten (himalayan).
It has been a little over a week now. He is fine as long as interaction with me etc. but he gets very very sad when I leave him home alone to go to work. And also when I close my door to go to bed bcuz otherwise he jumps on my while I'm sleeping. I especially feel very bad when I come home from work and see him sitting on the couch with his face down.

What can I do?
- drop him off at a pet sitting service?
- get another kitten? (which I'd really rather not if I don't have to)

I empathize with him bcuz I would also feel terrible if someone locked me in an apartment all by myself for 9-10 hours/day.

Hi and welcome to the forum! Congrats on your new addition, too. If you have any pics we'd all love to see him.. To answer your question, I have one too. Why do you not want another cat? Two aren't really much more trouble than one, though of course it depends on the cats. They would keep each other company while you are gone and also while you are sleeping. I wouldn't feel too bad, though as he probably just sleeps most of the time while you are gone. I would make sure to give him some attention while you are home, playing, brushing, etc, so that he feels loved. Otherwise, he will likely adjust after awhile. If you are gone out of town a lot that is another story, in which case it would probably be best to have 2, and then hire a petsitter for your out of town trips. Cats sleep many hours a day, so again, that is likely what he does while you are gone.

Thank you for your response. I don't really go out of town on long trips, but I'm only usually able to give him 3-4 hours worth of time in 24 hours (after you take out 8 hours of sleep and 9-10 hours of gone away for work). So I think this is what bothers him. I did get him a lot of toys and leave the radio on all the time for him, but I think he is still lonely. I guess my last resort is to look into getting another kitten and hope my home isn't upside down the next day

When Two is Better Than One
While we may pride ourselves on how we pamper our pets with the best of everything, we may be denying them what they need most--the companionship of one of their own species. Most feline behaviorists agree that cats generally lead healthier, happier lives if there is another feline in the household. Even if the cats never become bosom buddies, just sharing the house with another living creature while you are away helps to break the monotony and loneliness. Of course, if they become playmates, there is the added benefit of exercise and entertainment that is especially needed by kittens and young adult cats. Many cases of playful aggression directed toward the owner as well as various forms of household destruction, can be prevented if the cat's energies are focused on a playmate. Young males (3-24 months) have an especially strong need for a "buddy". While owners of rambunctious young males often hesitate to take on another cat, those who take that "leap of faith" and get another young male are generally delighted to see how much the "boys" enjoy each other.

If you're worried about what they will do to your apartment while you're gone, don't. There are things you can do ti kitten proof your apartment which isn't much trouble. Besides they will be too busy playing with each other.

They keep each other company, and they will grow to be the best of friends.

I have to say, I got my first cat Vlad when he was about 2 months old, then about a month later I brought home Oksana, and I have never regretted it. It's really not that much more trouble, and the food and litter you will buy isn't that much more.

I've got 4 now and they all sleep with me. There's nothing like a warm kitty lulling you to sleep with their purring.

__________________
There are only two rules at my house: House rule #1. Cats rule. House rule #2. See rule #1.

If you do decide on a new kitten, I have no regrets at all about having taken two from the same litter. They already knew each other's smells and there was no need to introduce them. It's possible they still have another kitty from the same litter or one that your little guy at least smelled before. I think two kittens is actually less work than one. One kitten is going to need a lot of attention, and two kittens amuse each other most of the time.

In another thread in the dog area of the board I just recommended a sound machine to someone. If you can find a cheap sound machine which does heartbeats or ticking, or an old fashioned clock that ticks, that might help your little one sleep while you are gone.

A pet sitting service is not a bad option if you can afford it. Just make sure you have a good feeling about the service and you know how they handle discipline if your kitty acts up. Same thing if you ever have to board the kitty for some reason.

Several people I know have resolved the problem of the cat jumping on them when they sleep by putting a cat bed at the foot of the bed. My mom always used a basket the cat liked, with a towel in it. Kept the cat from using Dad as a trampoline. My cat Pris has a giant stuffed turtle that was originally intended for someone else as a present but well...the minute she saw it, it became hers, and she will sleep on it even when nobody is home. If I get near a scanner, I will upload a picture. There's nothing much cuter than a smug looking tabby on top of a giant stuffed turtle.

Cats love company, yours for sure and also that of another cat. And the day your TV's down, watching two kittens/cats play is better than any silly sit-com

My old Spoutnik (II) would sleep on top of me all night, so I couldn't move Misti prefers sleeping at my feet, which leaves me free to move a little. Growing up, Whisky IV once used dad as a trampoline

we had a small weekend cottage, with the bedrooms separated from eachother and the living/dining/kitchen all-in-one room by walls that stopped before they reached the ceiling (this made the fireplace/stove a central heating unit, lol). Whisky would get up on the walls and walk around, usually jumping back down onto the top bunk - there were two in each room, mom and dad had their bunk beds, my brother and I the other two. These bunks were't directly on top of eachother, but staggered, so that the lower bunk sleeper only had his/her feet under the top bunk. Better for claustrophobics ... anyway, I digress Whisky, this one Sunday morning, decides to jump all the way to the lower bunk. Everyone is still in bed, dad asleep, my brother and I whispering, mom was awake but not up yet. All of a sudden we hear a "thud" followed by an "oumpf" and a "darned cat!" which brought on and eventually also from dad.

Kittens need companionship and I agree, two cats are no more work than one, but give each other companionship (I currently have 7 in my house). Males cats in particular seem to enjoy other feline companionship. He is young enough that he can get used to any other cat quickly, and now is the time to get another if you are going to.

Himies do require a lot of grooming work, so if you don't want to be brushing every day a short hair may fit better into your lifestyle.